Emerald Eyes of Nostalgia
by niky0n
Summary: AU. Roderich goes back to his hometown after spending ten years in America due to personal issues. He sees again the girl who once made his life miserable, but she had completely changed from the person he once knew before. Slight hint of crack pairings.
1. PROLOGUE

Darkness enveloped my vision as I lay there on the cold, hard ground.

I can still hear sounds coming from everywhere, muffled, but I can distinguish that it was someone else's laughter..

A laughter in a sense of mockery.

I tried to move my body, but I can't feel anything besides a throbbing pain on my left arm.

I wanted to call for help, but no voice came out of my mouth as I tried in vain.

My mind was filled with my own loud thoughts, screaming help in desperation..

..as my thoughts began to blur..

* * *

_A/N: Hey guys! I know, I know.. I haven't been updating with my last AusHun fic, but I just can't let this good fanfic idea that's been running in my mind just earlier.. So I decided to write it for all of you to see! :) Since I have a long holiday vacation ahead of me, maybe I'll get to update on this more often, and yes, I'll try to update my last story too. Thanks for reading, and please, follow, favorite and review! ^^_


	2. Chapter 1 : A Small Flashback

"_Pansy! Come back here!"_

_I tried to run as fast as I can. My breathing became heavier and my legs were about to collapse but I needed to run away from them. I don't want to be beaten up again today._

"_Roddy-kun! Don't run away!"_

_I cringed at the sound of her voice. She said it in a light hearted manner, but it was kind of threatening and menacing both at the same time._

"_Argh!"_

_I felt someone pull my hair from behind, and a loud "Kesesese!" is ringing in my ears as I struggled from the albino's grasp._

"_Hey, hey, Lizzy! I got Roddy-kun first! That means I will be the one getting Ivan's candies!", the irritating albino gushed, as I looked at the girl nearly approaching us, feeling nervous as I look at the frying pan in her hands._

"_Hmmp. No fair. You should share some with me, Gil.", the girl teasingly pouted, then grabbing the collar of my shirt. She was smiling at me, but I can feel a dark aura around her as she spoke. "Hello, Roddy-kun."_

_She giggled, and touched my cheek. "You're so cute and delicate, Roddy-kun, that I want to beat the daylights out of you.", she said, still smiling._

_I tried to struggle from her grasp, but then, I felt a strong force that pushed me away from her, making me crash down to the ground with a loud thud._

"_Elizaveta! Gilbert! Come back here!"_

_I looked at where the girl and the albino were standing earlier, but then they were gone. The two already ran away, laughing and still shouting insults against me, until they were out of sight and earshot. I felt my left arm hurt as I tried to stand up, until a blonde guy approached me, extending his hand and offering to help me up._

_He sighed. "Roderich. If you keep on being like that, you know, being like a chicken, you'll never get those two off your back."_

_I grabbed his hand and I clumsily stood up. "Tsk. I don't really know why they pick on me, Vash.. I mean, I didn't even do anything against them.. And every day, I've been growing more afraid of going to school, because I know that once the classes would end, they would hunt me down.."_

"_Well.. I have heard that Elizaveta and Gilbert joined Ivan's gang, and that their 'mission' was to capture you and beat you up, just so that they could have Russian candies from Ivan. Seriously, they went through all that trouble, just for candies.. If they wanted candies that much, they should have asked me, since Swiss candies are the best..", Vash said, his mouth curling into a smirk._

_The pain on my left arm became more intense, and I clutched on it tightly as I tried to stop myself from crying in pain. I felt dizzy and all of a sudden, my vision went black as I collapsed down to the ground._

"_Roderich! Roderich!"_

_The sounds of Vash's voice drowned my ears as I lost consciousness._


	3. Chapter 2 : A Serendipitous Meeting

I woke up, cold sweat running down my back as I realized that it was just a dream.

" A dream, huh?", I muttered again to myself, as I look out of the plane window.

The plane was about to arrive in Austria. It was kind of noisy in the plane, the people on board keep on talking about their plans for their own trips.. well I..

I'm just afraid that I might see her again.

It's been ten years. Even though it's been ten years, I still can't forget how much pain and torture she had given me ever since we were kids. And I am afraid to see her once I get back..

"Good afternoon, passengers. It is a sunny day right now in Schwechat, Austria, as you can see. It will be about 5 minutes before we land. This is your pilot, Francis Bonnefoy, speaking. I hope you all had a nice and comfortable journey, and also a good day when you all arrive in Austria."

The pilot had this weird accent, probably French. Anyway, he is right.. the weather looked very nice today, and from what I can see from above, I could see how much had changed from the city I once lived in.. The buildings, the landscape..

My thoughts were once again disturbed, when the pilot announced that we have already landed and the people around me began to unbuckle their seatbelts. After I unbuckled mine, I stood up, feeling a bit dizzy, and got out of the plane. The cold autumn wind rushed to my face as I looked up to the blue, clear sky.. Definitely, it will be a good day for me.

One of my old childhood friends were about to meet me later at the old coffee shop we used to go to. He was of Swiss descent, a bit rude when it comes to his usage of language, but still, a good friend. He would send me letters once every month, telling me about how much had changed in Schwechat and Vienna, and that the old school that we used to go back then was renovated and looked different now and many other things. His last letter though, had made me curious as to who is this person he wanted me to meet.

* * *

_Dear Roderich,_

_It's been ten years since we last saw each other. You never visited even once, but I know your reasons. You're still afraid of going back, isn't it? Well.. most of my letters were about how much had changed in our little hometown through the years, but.. people also change, Roderich. When you get back, you will know what I am talking about._

_I am excited to see you again, old friend. We should meet at the old coffee shop at Philharmonikerstraße, and if you can still remember, it's the coffee shop we used to buy Sachertorte back then. I hope that you will have a safe journey ahead of you._

_Oh. If it's okay with you, can I bring a friend along with me? Lili can't go since she has ballet lessons and well.. I just want you to meet this person, if it's alright with you? I'm sure you two would get along well._

_Bis gleich,_

_Vash Zwingli_

* * *

His letter remained folded and tucked in the pocket of my blue trenchcoat. I began to wonder how different his last letter was, compared to all those previous letters. His usual happy-go-lucky and carefree tone when it came to his writing became a bit more serious and also the fact that he never once brought up the issue about how I never visited him even once, until now. And also, I wonder why he wanted me to meet this person. Do I know this person he speaks of? Well.. maybe I'll get to know once I get to _Philharmonikerstraße._

I never knew how much ten years can change a place. This is my hometown, but I feel as if I'm a stranger around here now. When I got to _Philharmonikerstraße, _I didn't realize that the once old and small coffee shop I used to go to, is now part of a big, fancy-looking hotel and that the coffee shop looked very different from what I remember. A waiter in a tuxedo opened the glass doors for me, and I was a bit taken aback since, the waiters back then didn't look like this, and that they (the waiters) didn't often opened the doors for its customers. It was a bit of a shock, really. The coffee shop looked very different, its name still remained the same, but..

The sound of someone playing the piano began to drown my own thoughts, and I began to grow curious as to who this pianist might be, since, I never heard of anyone playing Chopin's nocturne in such an elegant and sweet tone like this. I decided to walk towards the source of the music, the sound of my footsteps gradually got louder as I rushed to the room. Clutching the brass doorknob, I slowly and carefully opened the door so that I don't get to disturb the pianist from his piano playing, and when I finally got a glimpse as to who the pianist might be.. the pianist turned out to be a girl.

Her long brown hair that shimmered blonde fell graciously on her shoulders as she played the piano with her eyes closed. Her pale white fingers touched the ivory keys with a delicate grace, her face expressed pain and sadness. She played the piece so well, and I can feel the emotions in her music and..

Suddenly, she stopped playing. She paused there, her hands still on the piano keys, her eyes still closed. Tears began to fall on her rosy cheeks, and I felt the urge to go and ask her what's wrong. I was about to go inside, when a thought struck me.

I don't know this person. This person doesn't know me. Why would I go out of my way just to help a stranger? The real Roderich wouldn't care and wasn't the one to help other people anyway. Then, why do I feel this way? Why is my heart beating like this..

"May I know who are you, sir?"

The beautiful girl earlier was standing now in front of me, waving her right hand in front of my eyes. I snapped back to reality, eyes blinking, a bit taken aback. The corners of her mouth curled into a sweet smile, as she asked me once again,

"May I know who are you, sir?"

I slid my glasses back up to my nose nervously as I told her that I was just a tourist that got lost on my way to see a friend, and that, the sound of her piano playing got my curiosity, that's why I decided to go to this room. I didn't feel the need to tell her who I was, but she smiled again, anyway, then laughed, her laugh sounded like crystal bells ringing in my ears. She looked at me again, her eyes filled with nostalgia, as she spoke,

"You look like someone I knew back then. An old classmate of mine."

I stared back at her, trying to remember if I had seen her once before. A faint memory of a girl smirking at me was in my mind, but.. It's impossible. That girl might not be her.

When I was about to ask what was her name, my cellphone began to vibrate in my pocket. When I answered the phone, Vash's loud and rude voice can be heard asking me as to where in the world I was and that he's been waiting for almost 30 minutes now. I answered with my monotone voice, saying that I am about to arrive in _Philharmonikerstraße _in five minutes, and that I was late because the plane arrived later than the scheduled arrival time. I clicked the end button, and slid the phone back to my pocket, when I heard the girl laugh at me again. I asked her why was she laughing and she answered,

"Your friend is bit impatient, isn't he? Well, I think it is time for you to go and meet him, isn't it?"

She opened the doors and went out of her way. Before she left, I think I heard her faintly say,

"I hope we meet again."

I don't know if it was a figment of my imagination, but then, when her words registered in my mind, I unconsciously placed my right hand on my chest, feeling my own heart beating erratically all of a sudden. It felt weird for me since I never felt this way before, and that no other person had made me feel this way.. until I met her. It was amazing that she could make me feel like this with just one stare, with just her voice, her laugh, her movement..

My phone started to vibrate again in my pocket. I decided to not answer the phone this time, walking down the hallway, the sounds of the piano resounded through the walls. Only one thought remained in my mind.

I hope to see her again.

* * *

_A/N: It's a bit short and a bit boring, I know. =_= Well.. I know this chapter has a lot of flaws, and I can't write my thoughts and ideas efficiently, but.. I hope that I have at least had given you a bit of an image as to what my words are portraying._

_Thank you for reading my story. I hope you had liked it. I might write another chapter, when I get the time to._


	4. Chapter 3 : The Cheerful Spaniard

_From: Vash_

_To: Roderich_

_Subject: Reservation_

_Table 9. Don't forget. You're already 40 minutes late._

* * *

I stopped myself from sighing after reading Vash's 3rd message, telling me to go to the reservation table as soon as possible. I knew that he was the kind of person who showed up in meetings on time, and expected others to be the same, but he never got to this point that he would call and message me endlessly, just to meet a friend of his. Seriously, how special is this person that he wanted so badly for me to meet?

A waiter was walking with a stern look on his face. His blonde hair slicked back, he was holding a silver tray while he walked past me, mumbling something I cannot comprehend. I tried to ask him where the reservation tables were, especially no.9, but then he quickly walked away, his stern expression changing into a worried one. I sighed again, realizing that I am lost within this now huge coffee shop (seriously, I am lost in a coffee shop), not knowing where to go, even the way out.

I tried to message or call Vash for directions, but his phone said it was unattended. I turned to a corner, and another, oh wait. I think I've walked past that lamp from earlier..

Too much thinking and worrying led me to bump to another waiter, a cheerful one at that, an endless slur of apologies came rushing through my ears as I tried to stand up. The waiter held out a hand, giving me a goofy grin, apologizing again for not looking at where he was going, and tried to help me on standing up. I fixed the creases on my trenchcoat, and looked at the waiter, he didn't look very Austrian. Tan skin, brown hair, green eyes—

"Umm. Sir? Do you need any assistance?"

The waiter spoke in fluent Austrian, but there was a weird accent attached to it.

"Ah, yes.", I suddenly remembered my appointment with Vash. "I was searching for the reservation hall, where table no. 9 is.. I can't seem to find it."

The waiter broke into another goofy grin. "Oh, the reservation hall? It's this way." He pointed at a narrow hallway at his right and pointed out the directions. "Take an elevator to the third floor, then left, straight ahead, another left, right, when you reach the glass ch—"

"Can you just take me there?", cutting off his long explanation with an exasperated sigh. I know for sure that I will get lost again if I tried to search the room for myself.

"Oh, yes, yes. That will also do."

* * *

There was an awkward silence as we finally reached the third floor.

"You.. don't sound very Austrian to me. Perhaps you are a foreigner from another country?", I asked, trying to break the silence.

The waiter smiled again. "_Si, Soy un Español." _

He seemed to notice the confused look on my face then added, "Spanish. I am from Spain."

We finally reached the reservation hall, and the waiter held the door out for me.

"I also apologize for the behavior of one waiter from earlier. He had personal issues to attend to, an emergency at home.", the waiter said as he looked at me, eyes hinting a bit of sadness.

"Uh, yes, I understand.", I walked past the doors.

"I hope you will have a nice day at Café Sacher.", the cheerful tone came back from the Spanish waiter's voice as he slowly closed the door behind him.

* * *

**A/N : **_I wasn't really planning to write again today. But I noticed that it's already a week since I last updated, and many fanfic ideas were running through my mind, and.. well, yeah. This chapter is kinda like a filler since Eliza is not in here, not yet. At least in this chapter, you got to see Roddy-kun being lost in a coffee shop (Himaruya's notes states that Austria has a bad sense of direction). I hope I get another flash of divine inspiration to write another chapter._

_Auf Wiederschauen!_


	5. Chapter 4 : A Name I'll Never Forget

I can hear whispers from across the room. Pleading, a bit mad, demanding. As I looked over to who is making the creepy noise in this almost empty hall, I can see a man with blonde hair, back facing me, sitting on a chair, flailing his left arm dramatically. It appears that he is talking to someone over the phone.

"But.. He's already here! You should go! You.."

His voice faltered as he heard footsteps coming towards him. He looked over his shoulder, a panicked look on his face as he whispered a quick goodbye then slid the phone in his pocket. He gave me a forced and crooked smile, a bit of suspicion starting to creep within me. Just who is this person Vash wants me to meet so badly?

I didn't realize that I voiced my thoughts out loud, and the smile from the Swiss was replaced with a guilty expression.

"I.. You see.. Umm..", Vash mumbled to his himself as he tried to come up with the right words.

"What?"

Vash flinched as he stuttered, but never got to the point. I didn't meant my question to sound rude or impolite or even sarcastic, it was just that I was tired from the trip, from getting lost, from being culture shocked—

"You remember Elizaveta, right?"

I cringed. It's been years since I heard her name. Elizaveta. Elizaveta. Her name kept on repeating in my mind as I searched through those memories.

Elizaveta. The one who made my life miserable.

Elizaveta. The sweet looking girl who I never thought would hurt me back then.

Elizaveta. The one who always chased with a frying pan.

Elizaveta. Eliza—

"Roderich?", Vash's concerned voice interrupted my own thoughts. I didn't realize that I clenched both of my fists that tight, my knuckles began to turn white. Just a slight mention of her name made my mind remember all those bad memories. Those days of fear and pain..

"Roderich?", Vash called out to me again, waving a hand in front of my face. I looked at him, mixed emotions welling up in me, as I tried to compose myself. I asked with a bit of a forced smile..

"What about Elizaveta?"

Her name sounded bitter on my tongue. I don't know why Vash would bring her up, I don't know why we should be talking about her, I don't know why after all those years, I still feel this way, I don't know, I don't know, I DON'T KNOW.

Vash looked at me, guilty and worried, both at the same time. "It's just that.. I wanted you to meet her, forgive her for anything she had done—"

I didn't let him finish. I slammed both of my hands on the table as my anger came out, seething, fuming. I tried to stop myself from cursing or shouting, since it was ungentlemanly to do so in public, but I managed to speak with gritted teeth..

"I don't want to see her. You know that I don't want to see her. After all she had done.."

Vash didn't look at me, his eyes looking outside the glass windows.

And then there was silence.

I closed my eyes, trying to fight my mind from remembering the past. I sat back on my seat, breathing heavily, beginning to feel myself relax. I don't understand why Vash would want me to meet Elizaveta again, he knew that she was the reason why I never came back to Austria. He knew how my life became downhill because of her, he knew how I suffered. Why, of all people, would Vash do this to me?

I heard a sigh from him, as he tried to speak again. "Roderich." His voice was stern and emotionless.

I opened my eyes. He was looking straight at me, serious expression on his face. Vash never looked at me this way before, and he started to speak again before I could answer.

"Elizaveta isn't the same as the one you knew back then, Roderich. She has changed. Everyone had changed. Gilbert, Ivan, everyone. They had already moved on. And you're the only one who hadn't yet let go of all those memories.."

A short, sarcastic laugh escaped my lips. "Let go? Move on? Please.", I managed to calmly say. "You think I can let go, just like that? Move on, like nothing ever happened?", I huffed as I continued, "_Mein gott, _Vash. I can't believe of all people, you would be the one saying that to me. I thought you understood me."

Vash looked undeterred. "I understand you. I know how you suffered all those years, I was the one who was always with you, remember? But Roderich, you're not the only victim in this situation. Elizaveta, Gilbert. They too suffered enough that if you only knew, you would be able to forgive them right away for what they have done—"

"I've had enough of this.", I muttered to myself, as I stood up, walking towards the door. Vash didn't try to stop me, he just sat there, looking at the glass windows as he sighed again, whispering something to himself..

"I'm sorry Elizaveta. Maybe, next time."

* * *

**A/N:** _Hey, hey, hey! I managed to post two chapters up today. Yay, me! I am quite inspired today, am I? Well, this chapter is a bit dramatic, but the next wouldn't be as much, I think. Maybe I can get these creative juices going, and post another chapter later. Thank you for reading, please post a review, I really appreciate it. Reviews inspire me to keep going~! ^^_

_Auf Wiederschauen!_


	6. Chapter 5 : A Piece of the Past

_When I woke up, I found myself lying on my bed, in my room._

_I tried to sit up, but I felt a sting on my left arm. I looked around the room, rays of sunlight beginning to pass through the blinds on the window. 'Maybe Vash carried me home.', I thought and as I walked towards the door, a voice in the back of my mind whispered, 'Again.'_

_I went to the dining room, seeing my mother busy with the preparations for her grand party tonight. She gave me an irritated look as she approached me, fear beginning to well up in me again as I looked down at the ground. It was evident that she wasn't all too happy about me getting beaten up again for the nth time._

_"Roderich!"_

_I was afraid to answer, but I tried to speak._

_"Y-Yes, Mama?"_

_I was afraid that she was going to hit me again, when suddenly, she put a hand on my shoulder, voice soft,_

_"Can you play the piano for the party later, son?"_

_I looked at her, surprised. It was the first time she ever spoke to me like that, let alone call me her "son". For many years, she had been very harsh on me and I felt as if I was never good enough to be considered her "son". Tears began to brim in my eyes as I answered her with a smile._

_"Of course, Mama! Anything for you."_

_After breakfast, I immediately went to the music chamber in our house to practice the pieces I knew. My left arm still hurt from yesterday, but I didn't mind. I should perfect my piano playing today so that I can make Mama happy and proud in front of all her friends. And that thought motivated me to practice all day long._

_When evening came, the dining hall looked magnificent with all the lights hanging from the ceiling, and the decorations adorned on every wall of the house. There were many people, and they looked very wealthy and refined. I felt very intimidated by their presence, and as the party went on, the time for me to play the piano was drawing near.._

_"Everyone. I would like you to meet my dearest son, Roderich. He's going to play the piano for all of us."_

_Everyone clapped as I walked towards the piano, beginning to feel nervous, sitting on the piano bench as I lay my hands on the ivory keys. I closed my eyes, hands shaking, as silence enveloped the dining hall. I heard someone walk behind me, and whispered in my ear, "You can do it, son."_

_It was Dad. I looked at him, surprised, because it's been five years since he came back from America._

_"D-Dad?"_

_He smiled as he looked at me, then whispered,_

_"Chopin's Nocturne Op. 9, No.2 would be a good piece to start."_

_It made me smile since, it was a piece we both agreed on. It was the piece he used to play back then before I go to sleep, and it was also the first piece he taught me when I started to play the piano._

_I touched the ivory keys again, took a deep breath, and started playing._

* * *

**_A/N: _**_I was continue further but.. Hmm. I guess I will write the rest on another chapter. It's a bit short since I have something to do today, maybe I'll update later, tonight? Hmm.._

_Auf Wiederschauen._


	7. Chapter 6 : An Oath of God

It was then that I realized that I had another dream of my past.

I woke up, cold sweat dripping from my forehead as I tried to remember what I had just dreamt of last night.

Oh, yes. The dream I had is about that day. The day that ruined everything, my family, my childhood—

"Oh, you're awake now, Mr. Aristocrat."

My ears caught an irritating voice coming from the doorway. I tried hard not to respond, but the sound of footsteps coming towards me made me do otherwise.

"What are you doing in my room so early in the morning, Vlad?", I asked, putting emphasis on his name.

A scornful laugh escaped from his lips. "Oh, lovely. My weak, pansy little brother is an impolite bastard now, huh?" He grabbed the collar of my shirt. "Know to respect your older brother, little boy." He smirked. I tried to avoid looking into his devilish eyes, as my fists unconsciously clenched as hard as it could, my ears pretending to be deaf to his insults. I knew that he enjoyed seeing me like this, and yes, I knew he enjoyed what he is doing to me now. For ten years, he had never really changed from the older brother I had always known.

"Tsk, tsk.", he lifted my chin with the tip of his index finger, trying to force me to look into his blood red eyes. He was smiling, yes, but what scared me was that he looked at me like a predator would look at his prey, his blood red, ruby eyes seething with hidden repulsion and hatred. He never liked me, he never did. Well, I never liked him either.

Back then, he had always bullied me. I was always bullied at school by Elizaveta and Gilbert, and sometimes by Ivan's gang, but what made my life miserable is that even at home, I was still being bullied. I never got any rest. He would often hurt me, and abuse me verbally. He never really accepted me, and he always thought that it was HIS family, and that I was never a part of it.

"So, four-eyes, what brings you to Austria all of a sudden?" he asked, releasing his grip on my collar and gave me a shove on the shoulder, then walked away, settling himself onto the soft couch nearby. He looked at me with lazy eyes as he continued, "And not bringing your lousy dad with you?"

I tried to answer him as politely as I could. "Dad will have a concert in New York tomorrow. As for the reason why I am here, let's just say I am here to visit old friends who kept on bugging me for the last ten years to visit even once." I looked at him, straight into his eyes as I asked, "Is that a good enough reason for you?"

He gave me a small chuckle as he stood up, shoulders shrugged and both hands in a carefree gesture saying, 'I don't know'. He was about to walk towards the door when he suddenly stopped. He looked back at me and said,

"Ten years.. It's been ten years, huh?"

He opened the door and walked out of my room.

* * *

Cold, autumn air met me when I opened the front door of the old house I once lived in. The house felt empty and desolate, except for the maids and servants who also stayed here. My mother is currently on a business trip to Scotland, as I had expected. Meanwhile, my brother, whom I had not expected, is still staying here even though he had finished his university studies already. I had expected him to have already moved out of the house and buying his own, well, I guess he still had plans to stay, unfortunately.

Since Vash and I had a fight yesterday, I wasn't planning to meet him anytime soon. I kept on walking around the alleyways of Vienna, finding myself arrive at _Wiener Stadtpark_, specifically the _Kinderpark_ area. Sounds of children laughing, footsteps of children running and the clanking of metal from the playground filled my ears. When I was about to sit on a bench nearby to take some rest, a boy with blonde hair and sapphire blue eyes bumped into me, his arms surrounded my waist as he laughed his heart out. Another boy came running over, hugging a white bear in his arms. The two boys looked uncannily the same, their hairstyles only set the two apart.

"Alfred.", the boy called out. He was almost a meter away from where I stood, and the boy named Alfred hid behind me, his arms still around my waist.

"Alfred, we should be going home.", the boy said, as he walked towards us. Alfred tilted his head as he looked at the boy, sticking his tongue out and giving him a mischievous smirk. "No, I don't want to go."

The boy sighed, and the bear sighed too. (It was alive?) The boy came closer and pulled at the cuff of my left sleeve. "Mister, can you convince my brother to go home with us? We need to go home now, but Alfred kept on running away because he wanted to stay a bit longer."

I crouched down, looking at Alfred's eyes, with my hands on his shoulders. I really am not good with children, but at least I have to try. "Umm.. Alfred, am I correct?"

"Yes, sir!", Alfred cheerfully answered.

"Your brother says that you two should be going home now."

Alfred frowned at me. He looks as if he is thinking about what I had just said when suddenly, he pulled my hand as he ran, that I almost stumbled. We ran and ran, as golden brown leaves flew with every step we took. The boy with the bear came running after us, and kept on calling Alfred's name over and over. Alfred just laughed, and he looked as if he was enjoying the thrill of the chase, or something. When we got to the Caroline bridge, I was almost tired from running, but Alfred kept on running and running. How come that this kid doesn't get tired from running?

We ran and ran until Alfred suddenly stopped near the lake. He stood there, smiling as he looked at the seemingly looking couple sitting on a bench, their backs facing us.

The two were enjoying a cup of tea, and the man with blonde hair and thick eyebrows looked at our direction. He smiled as he set his teacup down, then stood with his arms raised sidewards. "Alfred, Matthew.", he called out.

The two boys ran towards him, the man catching them into a group hug. The woman sitting on the bench laughed, oddly, her laugh seemed very familiar..

"Oh, Mr. Glasses man?", the woman came over, her eyes sparkling emerald green. "What are you doing here?", she asked.

My heart started beating erratically when I realized that she was the girl I saw playing the piano in the coffee shop yesterday. "W-Well.. Alfred here didn't want to go home just yet, and.. Umm.." I looked at the other kid.

"Matthew. His name is Matthew.", she spoke, trying to suppress a giggle. I unconsciously scratched the back of my head as I answered, "Ah, yes, Matthew. Well, he was telling Alfred that it's already time to go home."

She looked at me with curious eyes. "Then why are you here, Mr. Glasses man?", she asked.

I chuckled at my new nickname. "Alfred pulled my hand and came running here. And my name is not Mr. Glasses man, miss. My name is Roderich. Roderich Edelstein.", I said as I held out my hand. She looked at me, that same look of nostalgia she gave to me yesterday was on her beautiful face. She shook my hand as she commented, "I feel as if I have seen you before.. Except for yesterday, of course."

I was about to speak when the man with thick eyebrows called out to her. "Elise? Who are you talking to?"

I looked at the woman as I repeated her name in my mind. Elise, huh? Hmm. What a beautiful name for a beautiful woman.

She looked at the man then smiled as she answered, "A friend I met at Café Sacher." The man walked towards us, his eyebrows scrunched together as he looked at Elise, then to me. Apparently, he looked as if he didn't like me talking to Elise.

"It's time to go home, dear.", he said, his right hand held by Alfred, and Matthew on his left. I felt a pang of jealousy at the term of endearment he used to refer to Elise. Is he her husband? Are the two their children? I began to grow curious, and I really wanted to ask her, but..

She gave them a sweet smile and said yes, then looked at me. Her eyes expressed something like she still wanted to talk to me, but then she shook her head then bowed a bit before we parted ways. "It was nice to see you again.", she said, as the man called out to Elise again, and she ran over to catch up to them. She looked back at me as she waved her hand, another sweet smile on her face. "_Auf Wiederschauen, Herr Edelstein!"_

I smiled as I responded, "Just call me Roderich! And yes, _Auf Wiederschauen!"_

Elise chuckled as they walked away, and little Alfred laughed as he grabbed her right hand. "_Auf Wiederschauen, Herr Edelstein!", _he mimicked, then laughed again, as the man and Elise lifted him up into the air. I smiled as I looked at them, feeling a bit of sadness because I didn't get to talk to Elise a bit longer. I turned around, and started walking, as I mumbled to myself,

"They look so happy.. they look like.."

I looked back, stealing one last glance at Elise before I go.

"They look like a family."

* * *

**A/N: **_Hallo everyone! Yay for another update! (I think I'm the only one here cheering for myself) Well, here's the latest chapter and I really enjoyed writing this~ I have a few questions for you though:_

_1) Why did Vlad refer to Roderich's dad as "your lousy dad"?_

_2) What do you think is Vlad's reason for bullying Roderich?_

_3) What is the relationship of Elise and the man with the thick eyebrows? (It's obvious who the man is!)_

_4) Do you think Alfred and Matthew are Elise's children?_

_You can put your answers in your reviews. :3_

_Thank you for reading my story, and I promise that I'll update as soon as I can. AS SOON as I can._

_Review, follow or favorite~ ^^_

_P.S. In case you are wondering, Vlad is Romania. And~ __The title of the chapter refers to the French, Hebrew and Greek meaning of the name "Elise" which is "an oath of God."_


	8. Chapter 7 : Puppetstrings

_From: Lili_

_To: Roderich_

_Subject: Emergency_

_Big bruder got into trouble last night while he was drunk. He's in the hospital, had minor injuries, but I think you should still go. Bruder had been depressed ever since you two fought. I hope you two settle your differences and just go back to being friends again, okay? Oh, and welcome back to Austria, Roderich._

* * *

Roderich stood there, in front of the hospital, thinking if he should really go or not.

_Well, I think it's time to patch things up. It's not like we fought over a really huge issue or something._

He walked into the hospital and went straight to Vash's room.

* * *

"Big bruder. Are you really sure about this?"

Lili looked at Vash, a frown on her face. _Maybe this isn't a good idea, _she thought, as she sat on the chair facing Vash, who sat up on the hospital bed. "Even getting Dr. Kirkland to even allow you to pretend that you're really hurt—", she looked at the cast on Vash's leg, "—I think that's too much."

Vash looked at her, smiling a bit before he spoke.

"Well, I think it's not too much if Arthur even allowed me to do this stupid act. He knew he could get fired from his job if others knew.", then he looked at the window as he continued, "And this is for my friends, alright? This is for Roderich, for Elizaveta, and Gilbert too. Ten years had come and go, but we're still trapped by our own pasts, because we never got to resolve our own conflicts with each other. I think it's time to forgive and forget, Lili."

The door slightly creaked open when Lili was about to speak. Roderich stood behind the door, a bit nervous to go inside the room, and was waiting for Vash to call him from the inside. A small smile was on Vash's lips as he called for Roderich, he is a bit happy that even though they fought, his friend didn't hesitate to go and visit him. Roderich cautiously went inside, then saw the cast on Vash's leg, which left him a bit taken aback.

"V-Vash.. What happened?", he asked, as he slowly approached the Swiss, still staring at the cast on his leg. "What did you just do?", he asked again.

Vash chuckled at Roderich's reaction. "Well, you see I was drunk last night and I kinda got into a fight, and yeah.", he scratched his head, then giving Roderich a sheepish smile as he looked at him. _It's hard to keep up with this white lie,_ Vash thought as his mouth kept on twitching a bit before he spoke, "N-No worries.. You know it's just a minor injury for me." Then he gave Roderich an awkward laugh.

Roderich looked at him suspiciously. _Vash is acting weird today, _he thought, as he looked again at the cast on Vash's leg. _But it can't be that he's pretending to be hurt, right? I mean, he's in a hospital and all.._

Lili suddenly stood up, then approached Roderich.

"Umm.. Roderich? Uh, I think it's better if you get some coffee for big bruder.. I bet he's still got a bit of a hangover from last night..", she spoke in a monotone voice, then laughed awkwardly. Vash looked at her, disappointed as he thought, _You're really a bad actress, Lili._

Roderich looked at Lili, then to Vash. _It's getting really suspicious.., _he thought as he walked towards the door.

"Do you really think it would work?", Lili asked, heaving a sigh of relief when Roderich had already went out of the room.

Vash smirked as he answered,

"That guy has no sense of direction. I bet he'll see him sooner or later."

* * *

Roderich walked around the hospital, trying to find the place where they served coffee. _I think I'm lost again, _he thought, as he looked at the lamp he knew he just passed by a couple of minutes ago. He turned around, trying to go back to where he just came from, when suddenly, he saw someone walking out of a room. Roderich stood there, motionless, as he looked at the man. _It can't be.. It's not possible.._

His hands shook and sweat began to drip down his forehead. He froze when the man suddenly looked at him. Oddly, he didn't seem to notice him and even walked past him, he looked as if he wasn't aware of his own surroundings. Roderich tried to stop himself from calling out his name, from making sure it was really him..

"Gilbert?"

The name escaped from his lips. He wasn't sure if this is really Gilbert, but he knew from the snow white hair and the ruby red eyes, possibly, he could be—

The albino turned around, staring blankly at him as he answered,

"Yes?"

Roderich felt as if his world suddenly stopped.

* * *

**A/N: **_I've been thinking of this part of the story for almost awhile now, I can't get it off my mind. Well, I hope you enjoyed reading.. (I think that writing from a third person perspective is kinda awkward for me, so I apologize for any errors.) Review, follow or favorite~_

_Auf Wiederschauen!_


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